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Top Court lamented the blockades caused by Farm Law Protestors, adding that resolutions may be reached through legitimate means & not blockades.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed Supreme Court on Thursday that a meeting which was held to resolve the ongoing Farm Law issue was left unattended by Protestors and that it is suitable that they be joined as parties.

In this light, Court asked the Centre to file a formal application over impleadment in the plea seeking removal of blockades caused by protestors at the NCR borders, against the recent Farm Laws.

A bench comprising Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh said that the redressal of an issue may be through judicial recourse or through parliamentary debates but roads must not be blocked.

The plea has been filed by Monicca Agarwaal alleging that that traveling to Delhi from Noida for her marketing job had become a nightmare as it took 2 hours instead of 20 minutes due to the protestors swarming the roads.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that a meeting was convened along with a three-member committee, however, the farmers refused to join.
They may be asked to join as a party, Mehta added.

However, the Court asked Mehta to file an application informing about what has been done yet in this regard and what purpose will the impleadment of farmers serve in the matter.

The Court has listed the matter for next Monday.

Earlier, Court had said that though every citizen had the right to protest, it was not to be done at the expense of blocking ingress and digress of traffic. The court said that the solution did in fact lay in the hands of the Union of India.

Background:

On April 19, 2021 bench comprising Justice SK Kaul & Justice Hemant Gupta while adjourning the plea's had remarked, "Don't obstruct the life of other people there. You may want to construct a village, and you can do that. But not at the cost of other's inconvenience.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had informed that an endeavor was being done from their side concerning the directions issued by this Court. 

The petitioner, appearing in person, had averred that despite the various directions passed by this Court to keep the to and fro passage clear (the roads), the same still did not happen.

On April 9, 2021, the Bench comprising Justice SK Kaul & Justice Hemant Gupta after perusing the counter affidavit filed by respondent No.2, impleaded the State of Haryana and the State of Uttar Pradesh as respondent Nos.3 and 4.

Solicitor General submitted for arranging representation on behalf of the State of Uttar Pradesh.

"We have clarified to the Solicitor General that we are not concerned with the larger issue but only limited to the aspect of free flow of traffic on the streets, i.e., the public streets should not be blocked. This is an aspect which has been repeatedly emphasized in different orders of this Court.", the order dated April 9, 2021 read.

On March 26, 2021, the Bench comprising Justice SK Kaul & Justice R Subhash Reddy took note of the administrative failure as the judicial view was already propounded by the Court & issued notice to the Respondents to ensure that the road area is kept clear so that the passage from one place to other is not affected.

Case Title: Monicca Agarwaal V. Union Of India & Anr.